Idaho Elk Hunting Adventure (Part 2)

During the night it rained, and really hard. I expected the camp to be a mud hole, but this is Idaho, not Iowa. The rain soaked into the ground.  The trail on which we rode the horses was almost dry. This was interesting country. Our guide pointed out the meadows we would be hunting.  We rode and walked to the bottom of a mountain, tied the horses in a grassy area, and walked back into some of the most beautiful valleys and meadows I have ever seen. Working into different meadows and changing locations to fresh meadows yielded nothing. In fact, all of a sudden there was an absence of rubs and no droppings of either deer or elk. We continued to look for elk signs but found none. We sat in the woods along game trails. Casey would call and we would wait. Finally we did some heavy scouting and found wolf tracks. Wherever you have wolves, you will not find game. We headed back to the horses and arrived back in camp at dark for another outstanding meal.  To learn more about the impact of wolves on game go to the website http://www.saveelk.com/.

Looking down into the valleys and meadows we would be hunting.  Unfortunately, wolf signs were everywhere and the elk and other game move out.

The next day we headed out along a U.S. Forest Service Road and walked down a mountain into some valleys and meadows we could not see from above. It was a sunny day and the air had warmed up.  It looked like a much clearer day than we had before. Moving into a meadow that was partially forested, we each found a place to hide. I stuck myself among four trees, standing behind two of them. The one on the outside was a pine with branches blocking my outline. I could see between the limbs and looked down the meadow. I was in the shadows. The meadow was thick with small stands of timber. I always take my range finder and pick out some trees just to determine distances from where I am hiding. I also spot some distant trees just to keep the perspective in mind. Breaking out of the timber came an elk. A nice size bull having a good rack. He was probably about 200 yards when I first spotted him. He turned toward me. The sun had now risen above the trees to my left and I was no longer in shadows. He was facing me, but I was behind the two trees, and hopefully my shape and outline were blocked. I said to myself, “Get ready, he is going to come your way.” I slowly started bringing the gun up to my shoulder and raising the barrel to stick out of the trees to prepare for a shot as he got closer. I could feel my heart beating.  I was really excited but reminded myself to slow down and be patient. Don’t rush a thing.

At about 150 yards, he must have either winded me or saw the movement, because he moved quickly and tore back up the mountain into the dense timber.

We hunted the rest of the day, seeing lots of elk signs consisting of rubs and droppings but no elk.




Wolf track were found here and no droppings or rubs.  Look at the beauty of this meadow.  Small streams were all across the floor, and the ground was soggy. 



This will be a tough shot, but this is tough country.



Typical meadow, but look at the cover.  The shots will be close

On Day four we moved back to the small meadow with the pond. There was no wind and it was dead calm as I sat in the shadows. I would have preferred to have the wind in my face. After a few cow calls I heard thumping and crashing of timber to my left and into the woods. It was then obvious we had a bull hooking around us.  He was in the timber just beyond the small pond. We all sat very still and waited. Casey gave a few more calls. I was keeping an eye on an opening just opposite my position. It was less dense and would give more of an entry into the small meadow. Nothing appeared. Then there was a loud thunder of hooves running in the opposite direction. The only thing we could think of was that he must have winded us. Charlie said he was in the shadows sitting very still looking at an area where he thought he had heard him. Casey was surprised that he split so quickly. Something was just not quite right.

We then moved to an area that had experienced a forest fire about 15 years ago. Elk had been seen frequently feeding in the area adjacent to the standing timber. Since the area was quite large we hunted several spots before moving on. Finally we went back to the big meadow next to the burn area and found fresh elk signs everywhere. We hid here until early evening, but saw no elk. Thank goodness Casey carried a GPS with him. I had no idea as evening set in where we were.  It all looked so different.



Our guide referred to this as "the burn area."  Forest Fire had taken place over 15 years ago and because this is a wilderness area it was allowed to burn itself out.  Quite a large area and we spent part of a day in different locations.  Good elk signs, and lots of mule deer. 

Our last day, we went on the hunt with great hope and expectations. Charlie and I were getting in excellent condition with all the walking up and down the mountains. We started back in the area where I had seen the elk, and worked several of the meadows. Seeing rubs and droppings everywhere was a good indication of elk in the area. Everywhere we went there were mule deer. We set up in several meadows and on the sides of the mountains looking down into meadows, but success was not with us for this trip.


Sitting on the side of a mountain and looking down into a small meadow.  Our guide is behind us up the mountain.  My friend Charlie is to my right about 50 yards.  What a beautiful setting.  Mule deer were on my left.  150 yards to the tree line on the far side of the meadow.



Looking down two game trails.  Our guide is behind us.  This is looking down the mountain and would be a really tough shot, but this is rugged country.

On the way home we both asked ourselves if it was worth it, even though we did not bag an elk. The answer was a resounding yes. We went for the experience of a remote wilderness camp.  Living, walking, and riding in the mountains was the goal. I can’t say enough nice things about the service and the people with Wind River Outfitters. Their treatment of us was outstanding.  I would highly recommend them to people wanting an outdoor experience hunting elk in a wilderness setting. I plan on going back.
Next week we will have a guest writer.  He is an outdoorsman who with a close friend just shot his first elk in Wyoming. This will be a great read.





My horse, Jaz. 



Good Hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank.

Text 10/31/10

Idaho Elk Hunting Adventure (part 1)

My friend Charlie and I had waited for this day since January, when it was decided to head to the Idaho wilderness and hunt elk with Wind River Outfitters.  October 7th came and we loaded up and headed west.  Out of Omaha you can average 75 mph along the interstate.  Once you clear Lincoln and past Grand Island, the traffic thins out and driving is a pleasure.  We made great time and arrived in Rock Springs, Wyoming for our first stop before evening.  Next day it was another 700 miles up to Riggins, Idaho where we spent the night. You could do this differently by leaving earlier from Omaha and driving farther, possibly up to Ogden before you spent the night.  Then an early departure could get you to Riggins and into the camp late in the day.  We wanted to see the countryside so that was the reason for our planning.

Out of Riggins and up Highway 95, we turned onto Banner Ridge Road and into some really spectacular country.  The scenery was the first reason we were here.  Two hours later we met Mike Branson, owner of Wind River Outfitters, transferred our gear to his truck and started into the Gospel Hump Wilderness on a U.S Forest Service Road.  The scenery just kept getting more beautiful, and the forests were really dense.  The road kept getting rougher, more rocky, with 700 foot vertical drops off the edge.
At a U.S. Forest Station horse corral our gear was unloaded.  A mule team was brought out from the camp and the gear packed on a skid and hauled into camp.  If you go to the website for Wind River Outfitters, the picture you see of the camp is exactly what you see when you arrive.  Everything is right there for your comfort in the wilderness.  If you need a shower, you can shower with hot water.  The tents are heated with a wood stove which makes it more comfortable to get ready for bed or dressed in the morning.  There is also a modern no flush toilet just a short walk out into the woods.

 Our first problem developed while we were sitting around the campfire enjoying the company.  Charlie mentioned he had some problems with his rifle getting it sighted in.  So we went to a place where we could test fire some rounds at a target.  Charlie could not sight it in.  The shots were all over the target after adjustments.  Mike then took the rifle and tried some shots.  The exact same thing occurred. Shots were all over the target with no correlation to the adjustments.  It was then discovered the mounting brackets were loose.  They were tightened, but after one shot would come loose and were not tightening down properly.  This gun could not be used.  You could load up and shoot all day and never hit a thing. Fortunately, Mike had an extra gun in camp for Charlie to use.  This was a good lesson.  Make sure your equipment is in prime condition before you leave home, and have your weapons checked by a reputable gun smith.

That evening we sat down to an excellent meal prepared by Mike's wife, Jaylene.  Dutch oven cooking is her speciality, and all the meals she prepared were outstanding.  They were big helpings.  We were encouraged to go back for more and I did.  Then there was dessert to top off the evening meal.  Elevation at the camp was around 7,300 feet so I was feeling tired.  We also had a big day ahead of us, so it was time to retire. 

The tent had a wood stove that was fired up for us before bedtime.  The evening was beginning to get cold so that really felt good. During the night, if one of us got up, we would throw a log on to keep the coals alive.  In the morning Mike would fire it back up before we even got out of the sleeping bags.  The tent was always warm when we got dressed.  This was service. 

After a big breakfast, we picked up our sack lunches for the day and headed out with our guide Casey.  The woods were dense, but there was a marked trail that we could follow.  Casey carried a GPS with him that had a two- way radio as part of the unit.  He could be in contact with Mike or Jaylene if he needed to contact them.  Waypoints were periodically added as we moved along, so night or day, we could find our way back to camp.  We walked by and around several meadows where elk signs were everywhere.  Droppings on the ground and rubs on the trees were good signs of elk.  We also saw a lot of Mule Deer. 

This is the meadow.  You can see the pond at the end.  Wildlife signs everywhere

As we moved to the edge of a meadow, we saw a small pond at one end.  Casey decided to set up there.

Charlie and I were placed about 50 yards apart with our faces into the wind.  We sat down just inside the tree line facing into the meadow.  Our guide moved back into the woods between us about 30 yards.  After letting the forest settle down, about 20 minutes, he began to use his cow call.  He gave out some information to the resident bulls.  This consisted of, "Hello boys, I am here waiting to meet you," or whatever they say.  He varied the call so that it would appear to a bull that there was more than one cow.  Then we sat still and waited.  After about 20 minutes, he would call again with varying pitches and sounds.  Then we sat still, listened, and waited.  We listened for a bull to answer or movement in the woods.  We sat very still as this process was repeated several times. The strategy was for the bull to come through Charlie and I and toward the guide.  This would give use the best opportunity for a shot.  After an hour we moved to a new spot.

We walked into an area that had been a forest fire site about 15 years ago.  We walked over fallen timber  into a meadow that was flat and was at least one acre in size.  It was a beautiful location with elk signs everywhere.  Finding a good spot was not a problem here as there was fallen timber all around.  We could get behind a downed log and sit on another and be almost totally hidden.  This made for great hiding.  The same process was repeated as before.  Casey called on the cow call and then we waited.  There were so many elk signs around that we waited here almost two hours and then moved on.  On the way back from the ridges we stopped and hunted it again.

This is a beautiful meadow, but elk did not appear.  To each side is burn area.  We moved to the left of the picture and out on the ridge.

From this beautiful meadow, we moved upon a ridge that was part of the burn area 15 years ago.   We broke for lunch, drank in the scenery, and just took a general break.  Casey moved to the edge of the ridge and glassed the valleys below and ridges across from our location for elk.  Then we moved on.

Now, I have some advice.  I am in pretty good condition for my age and work out daily, but I was not prepared for the altitude or the upslope walking I had to do.  When you go on your trip into the mountains start preparing several months in advance.  Walk up lots of steep hills.   Get yourself winded and your heart rate up. Exercise until your muscles ache a little.   Second, even though I have lived at higher elevations than we were at, I still failed to hydrate enough.  I got a little altitude sickness that consisted of low grade nausea and headache.  Drink lots of water.  From this point forward, I drank a half  a liter before we left camp and a full liter on the trail.  My water bottle was empty whenever we returned.  This did not include the coffee and oj in the morning, or the fruit drink packed in our lunch. I never had a problem after that.

It was almost evening but we stopped at another beautiful meadow close to the camp.  Elk had been seen in this location and the signs were everywhere.  We followed the same process.  First we found a good hiding place and patiently waited while the guide called.

After an hour, it was almost dark and we headed back to camp.  It was getting cool and I literally stumbled into the tent.  Mike had the stove all stoked up for us.  After another outstanding meal, we both fell into our sleeping bags.  I have never slept so well. 

Good hunting, good fishing, and good day.   Hank.

Fall Turkey Hunting

As this article is being posted by my wife, I am on the way home from Idaho.  There could be a large set of elk antlers in the back of the truck.  Once home, I need to get after the ducks, deer, and turkey.  So much to do so little time.

I really like the way Nebraska sets up their season for turkey.  It starts September 15th and ends December 31st.  That is a lot of time, and I like to make use of it.  The hills, more like mountains, north of Fort Calhoun, Nebraska are just packed with turkeys.  The landowner where I hunt, hikes his property and last spring saw several nests with over 15 eggs and one had  25.  The hens split when he comes walking by, but go back and sit on the eggs once he is gone. 

Even though I have hunted this ground for several years, I always call first and ask permission.  It is just good etiquette even though his neighbor and I are the only ones that hunt the ground.  Limited hunting makes this farm into a top opportunity to harvest turkey and deer when in season.  I always urge people not to take their relationships for granted.  Keep lines of communication open, always ask permission, and never take the landowner for granted.  You will be hunting on their farm for a long time.

I called and asked about hunting fall turkey, and of course the answer is always yes.  He has rented out his pasture and there are cows on it, so it was recommended not to hunt near the cattle.  With this in mind, I felt my first trip was just to scout out the area and see where the birds are hanging out.  Fall turkey hunting is totally unlike spring.  In the spring the birds are not so flocked up.  Also in the spring you can call and entice a nice love-hungry tom to come to you.  In the fall they do not answer a call so well and also move in flocks hunting for food. I found in the past they are creatures of habit.  So much so that I found on ocassions they came through an area about the same time. 

My plan is then to slowly move around the woods.  I then sit in one location and study the area to see if turkeys are coming through.  I just want to find their general locations where they are moving.

I went to a couple of spots in the early morning and just sat still. Using field glasses, I studied the area looking for movement.  As quietly as possible, I moved slowly around in the woods and on the edge of the open fields.  Slow is the key, and study is the second key.  I just want to find the flocks and where they are hanging out.

It wasn't long before I spotted a flock of twenty-five birds of all sizes.  Scratching and pecking the ground, they moved along quickly.  I am always amazed at how much ground they cover, and how sensitive they are to movement.  Calling this hunting is really not correct.  It is more like ambushing. However,  if you enjoy wild turkey, this is the way to get it done. I noted the time and where they came through, then slithered off to find another flock. Spotting two more flocks, I noted the area they were feeding and continued my search.

I kept this process going all day long, only breaking for lunch.  Toward evening, I back-tracked to the locations where I had seen the flocks pecking and scratching.  Close to where I had seen each flock, I set up brush and or timber that would break my outline and provide me a place to hide.  I also looked for a good spot to put my tent blind.  This takes a little extra work, but it provides the needed cover and hides any movements.  I do not use this enough. 

I am set to hunt turkeys when the landowner moves the cattle off his ground.


Good fishing, good hunting, good luck.  Hank

Text 10/18/2010

Walleye Knowledge

Right now, I am in Idaho in the Nez Perce National Forest, and hopefully there is a trophy bull Elk in the bag.  This article is from the Iowa DNR website. Iowa has an excellent website with a lots of knowledge of the outdoors to share with readers and I highly recommend all the websites from any state for information on hunting, fishing, and conservation.  (http://www.iowadnr.gov/)  I found this article to be an interesting read on walleye, a member of the perch family.

Worldwide, about 25 genera and 125 species make up the family Percidae. Twenty of these species are native to Iowa lakes and streams, some of which have long since disappeared due to a variety of reasons. This relatively large family contains three sub-families: Percinae, the perches; Luciopercinae, the walleye and sauger; and Etheostomatinae, the darters.

Members of the perch family are characterized by rather slender, elongated bodies and by a large bone on the gill cover which ends in a flat spine. The dorsal fins are a very distinctive characteristic of the family with a definite separation evident between the anterior spiny portion and the soft portion to the posterior. The mouth of walleye and sauger is filled with formidable canine teeth on the jaws, the roof of the mouth and palate, teeth that are absent in the perch and darters.

All members of the family are strictly carnivorous. The large species are piscivorous, eating mostly other fishes, while the smaller darter species prey mostly on minute aquatic insects and planktonic crustaceans. A wide range of forage and habitat preference is primarily responsible for the distribution of the family throughout Iowa.

Smaller fishes in the perch family have developed several unique ways to protect themselves from predation by larger predator fish. The perches have sharp spines in the dorsal fin and gill cover bones, a very durable covering of tough scales and the ability to swim strongly. Some of the darters are capable of burying themselves in the sand bottom with only their snout and eyes protruding. Even with these protective devices, however, they are not entirely immume from predation. Yellow perch, especially young, serve as important forage for game species such as northern pike, bass and walleye where they inhabit common waters. Darters are occasionally taken by larger fishes but tend to comprise an insignificant part of the predator`s diet.

All perch family members reproduce in the spring in a variety of interesting ways. Yellow perch string their eggs in gelatinous ribbons over vegetation and underwater structures. Walleye and sauger deposit their eggs at random in shallow water. Some darters -- logperch, Iowa darter, and least darter -- do likewise, while others -- rainbow darter -- cover their eggs with gravel or sand. Some, such as the Johnny darter and fantail darter, place their eggs on the undersides of objects where they are cared for by the male parent. Males of many darter species assume brilliant colors during the spawning season.

Walleye, perch and sauger are important game fishes and are highly valued by anglers in Iowa as well as across this continent. In our state walleye rank as the fourth most-sought-after fish. Perch are of more regional importance, particularly in the natural lakes and Mississippi River. The darters are too small to be of importance to anglers and are not useful as bait-fish. However, their beautiful coloration and odd habits make them delightful fishes to observe. They are fascinating to watch in a native-fish aquarium, but they are difficult to keep, since they must be provided with a live diet.

The darters are a quite unique group of colorful little fish. Their name undoubtedly originated from the fact that they do not swim in the ordinary fashion but dart from place to place. They start and stop with great speed, often sinking immediately to the bottom, where they hide among rocks. They may remain motionless for extended periods on the bottom of streams, under rocks, or perched on a stone, supported by their pectoral fins. Most species can not suspend themselves in the water since they have only a rudimentary swim bladder.

Seventeen darter species and subspecies have been reported in Iowa waters, although the status of some is now questionable. Many of the darter species are brilliantly colored, especially during spawning. Others are nearly sand-colored and are difficult to distinguish from rocks on the stream bottom. Although many darters are found in comparatively swift streams, several species are known to prefer the quiet weed beds of lakes or the open bars of the larger interior rivers.

Darters usually inhabit fairly shallow water and are rather solitary individuals. They are largely carnivorous, feeding upon aquatic insect larvae and other small organisms.

Good hunting, good fishing, Hank   text     

Opening Day for Ducks/Fall Bass

What a great weekend.  An invitation to go Bass Fishing at Lake Manawa on Sunday, and Saturday was opening day for ducks in Nebraska. 

Opening day is not usually one of the best days our club has, but it is great fun and there are a lot of local birds in the area.  I was amazed at the number of Pintails, and of course we had lots of teal zipping past the blind at low altitudes.  Sometimes they decoyed, but most of the time it was pass shooting.  The action all took place at the opening bell and continued right up till mid morning.  After that the birds stayed high and did not decoy well.  It was a great morning.

Sunday, it was time to fish for bass.  I had an invitation with a long time friend to do some fall fishing, and the weather was just too nice to pass it up.

We arrived before daylight at the Fish and Game Club to launch the boat.  The strategy was to work along the north to northeast shoreline where all the houses are located and fish the docks.  This would also stay the darkest when the sun came up.  It was just showing some light in the east when we started.  I was casting a Johnson Silver Minnow tipped with some pork rind, and my friend, Pat, was using artificial worms. 

I would cast close to shore, let the bait fall and then slowly lift it off the bottom.  Reeling it toward me, I would let it fall back down and then pick up the retrieve.  Pat would also lay the artifical worm almost on the shore, but right next to the dock.  Reeling it in letting it fall and repeating this over and over again was the strategy.  He kept the lure really close to the dock pillars lifting it up and letting it fall.

The weather could not have been better.  Fifty degrees air temperature, and the lake had a really clean appearance.  You could tell the pleasure boaters had not been on it recently.  It was calm when we started, but then a light breeze developed out of the southwest.  This was just perfect.  A high pressure, southwest wind, and a light breeze made this a great morning.

We worked slowly.  When I fish walleye, I am always on the hunt to find them and keep moving at a more lively clip.  Not today, it was go really slow, and take a lot of time.  At times Pat gently lifted the worm onto the dock, and then pulled it off into the water and let it sink right by the dock.  About 90 minutes went by and we worked several of the docks.   Then Pat had a really nice hit, but missed.  Flipping the worm back on the dock, he gently pulled it off and let it sink to the bottom.  When he lifted it up, Mr. Big Mouth was there and could not resist a tasty morsel.  A nice three pound black bass was landed.

The minute he landed the bass, I knew it was time to switch baits. I put on an artificial worm.  Working the shore line and the docks, I had what felt like some taps, but nothing was taking hold.  In the meantime, Pat smacked another fish in about the same weight range.  These fish are really healthy.  They are firm with the usual dark green to almost black color and really packed. We had now been at it for about two hours, but had covered very little of our goal.  That is to fish all the docks along the shoreline before 11 AM when the sun would start to light up the area. 

Finally, after about three hours, I had a taker in the two pound range.  Pat had landed another fish, but not as big and we had only covered half of our goal.  It was 9:30 AM.   We only had one and one half hours to go.  With that in mind, Pat moved the boat to some docks that were sticking out farther in the water.  Deeper water and more cover should produce more fish. 

The strategy worked and I scored another fish.  It was not big, but it was a keeper.  Pat was not getting any hits and it was not 10:30 AM.  We decided to quit and come back in the evening and fish the west bank of the lake along the rocks. 

This was a really great weekend.  Good fishing, good hunting, and good luck  Hank
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